ADVISORY BOARD

The Tacoma Creates Advisory Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Tacoma Creates administration on funding programs to support public benefit in arts, culture, heritage, and science programs throughout Tacoma.

The Advisory Board consists of 12 volunteer members appointed by City Council. All members are residents of Tacoma, and have interest in, and familiarity with public programming in arts, culture, heritage, and/or science, as well as interest in Tacoma Creates goals regarding equity, access, and programs that provide public benefit for residents across Tacoma. Monthly meetings are held 5:30-7:30 PM on the first Monday of each month.

Currently, all Tacoma Creates Advisory Board meetings are hybrid, and can be attended either on Zoom, or in-person at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St., Room 248. You can find the meeting information on the Agendas and Minutes page on the City of Tacoma’s website. Please click on the meeting agenda to find the Zoom link and other relevant information.

Applications for this Advisory Board may be submitted year-round through the City of Tacoma’s CBC website. There will be an annual deadline each spring for applications to be considered for that year’s open seats.

Current Members of the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board:

Appointed Position	Advisory Board Members	Biography	Term Expiration
Council District 1	Wind Dell Woods	Wind Woods (he/him) is a playright, scholar, and educator. He teaches courses in theater and hip hop aesthetics at the University of Puget Sound.	August 31, 2028
Council District 2	Putter Bert	Putter Bert (she/her) has lived in Tacoma for over 25 years with her husband and three children. She is the President & CEO of the KidsQuest Children's Museum.	August 31, 2024
Council District 3	Daniel Arias-Gomez	Daniel Arias-Gomez is a Graphic/Interactive Designer and Illustrator. He moved from Bolivia to Washington, D.C. when he was young, where he was exposed to art, culture, and creative minds. He helped open an indie art gallery featuring local and street artists from all backgrounds in D.C. He hopes to continue to support the arts community here.	August 31, 2027
Council District 4	Sheree Cooks	Sheree Cooks (she/her) has called Tacoma her home for over 35 years now and is a teacher, advocate, and leader in family & community engagement. She is an avid lover of the arts, culture, and science.	August 31, 2026
Council District 5	Megan Clark	Megan Clark (she/her) is a Family Liaison for Tacoma Public Schools. She is a passionate advocate for youth and families and strongly believes “Community is the solution!”	August 31, 2025
Arts	Brian Robinson	TCAB Chair Brian Robinson is a Tacoma-based filmmaker and writer who has worked in various styles of video art for 10 years. He hopes to help expand Tacoma's creative palette.	August 31, 2026
Culture	Katie Mattran	TCAB Vice Chair Katie Mattran (she/her) is a Nisqually tribal member residing in Northeast Tacoma with her husband and two school-aged children. She is an analyst, advocate, and community leader with a focus on education and access.	August 31, 2025
Heritage	Allison Campbell	Allison Campbell (she/her) is the heritage outreach manager at the Washington State Historical Society. She loves that museums build community through a shared desire to explore and understand the world.	August 31, 2026
Science	Amanda Figueroa	Amanda Figueroa (she/her) works in Student Affairs at UW Tacoma, volunteers with equity-focused nonprofits, and enjoys gardening, crafting, and baking at home in Tacoma’s Eastside.	August 31, 2026
Public Education	Roxane Hreha	Roxane Hreha (she/her) is a Tacoma native, career musician and Tacoma Schools music educator. She is an advocate for equitable arts education for all students within the school day.	August 31, 2024
Community Engagement		POSITION VACANT	August 31, 2025
Youth	Ava Sims	Ava Sims is excited to serve as the Youth Representative on the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board. Ava is a senior at Henry Foss High school. In her spare time, she has taken on the task of being president of her school’s Black Student Union, an ASB senator, and an ambassador for Seeds of Peace.	August 31, 2024

ADVISORY BOARD The Tacoma Creates Advisory Board will serve in an advisory capacity to the Tacoma Creates administration on funding programs to support public benefit in arts, culture, heritage, and science programs throughout Tacoma. The application process for this new Board was open December 2019-January 2020, and there was a strong response from qualified residents in all five City Council districts. Interviews for board positions had been scheduled for late March, and were put on hold when all of the City’s Boards and Commissions were paused. The City Council committee that oversees this process, the Economic Development Committee, will resume meetings in the late summer and will reconnect with this process. Once seated, the Board will consist of 12 volunteer members appointed by City Council. All members will be residents of Tacoma, and have interest in, and familiarity with public programming in arts, culture, heritage, and/or science, as well as interest in Tacoma Creates goals regarding equity, access, and programs that provide public benefit for residents across Tacoma. Monthly meetings will be held 5:30-7:30 PM on the first Monday of each month.

The Tacoma Creates Advisory Board will include the following positions: A community member from Council District 1 A community member from Council District 2 A community member from Council District 3 A community member from Council District 4 A community member from Council District 5 Professional expertise in the arts. Professional expertise in culture. Professional expertise in heritage. Professional expertise in science. Professional expertise in Pre-K-12 public education in Tacoma. Expertise in community engagement/community development Youth Seat: A representative from the Mayor’s Youth Commission.

Learn more about the Advisory board